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Grizzlies held back offensively, lose to Spurs

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Matt Bonner scored 15 points, going 5 of 9 from outside the arc, and Tim Duncan added 14 points as the San Antonio Spurs sent Memphis to its fourth straight loss with an 83-73 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday night.

O.J. Mayo led Memphis with 17 points, shooting 7 of 11. Mike Conley had 15 points for Memphis, and Marreese Speights scored 10, all in the first quarter.

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But Memphis was held to 37 percent shooting on the night, primarily because Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies’ two leading scorers, were a combined 3 of 18 from the field. Gay finished with one point, missing all seven of his shots. Gay was held scoreless in three games his rookie season.

The Spurs built the lead to 17 points in the first half, and Memphis never got it under double-digits after halftime.

San Antonio outrebounded Memphis 46-37, including 14 offensive boards, and held a 32-28 advantage in the paint.

It was the Spurs’ first trip to Memphis since the Grizzlies ousted them in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Despite losing Sunday night at Dallas, the Spurs had energy from the start, and Memphis looked every bit like a team coming off a four-game road trip, playing lethargic and out of sync.

Memphis was getting beaten on the boards and outhustled for loose balls. The Spurs were the aggressors on both ends of the floor.

San Antonio built the lead to as many as 17 in the second quarter as Memphis started the period 4 of 14 from the field.

The Spurs shot 5 of 10 from outside the arc in the half as Bonner hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first half.

Bonner’s nine points and eight by Leonard led the Spurs to a 45-35 lead at the break, but it took San Antonio going scoreless over the final 3:34 of the half for the Grizzlies to get that close.

Speights and Conley had 10 apiece for Memphis, but the most glaring stat was the anemic shooting of Gasol and Gay, who went a combined 1 of 9 from the field as Memphis struggled, shooting only 37 percent in the half. Gay, in fact, only took three shots.

Memphis didn’t start the second half much better. The Spurs extended the lead, but Tony Allen was able to put a bit of a charge into Memphis’ play with steals.

However, every time Memphis got close to pulling within double-digits, the Spurs would answer with a couple of baskets. A 3-pointer by Bonner gave San Antonio a 64-47 lead, matching the Spurs’ largest at that point.

The lead would reach 20 when Gay received a technical arguing a no call. Tony Parker’s free throw made it 67-47.

By the time the game reached the end of the third, San Antonio was up 70-50.

Memphis cut into the lead opening the fourth with seven unanswered points, a streak stopped by yet another 3-pointer from Bonner, and Memphis never threatened the rest of the way.

NOTES: The Spurs are in the midst of playing 16 of 21 games on the road, one of the toughest road stretches in franchise history. … Memphis was playing its first home game in 10 days. The Grizzlies were 1-3 on a West Coast swing. … The Grizzlies played their 16th game since All-Star forward Zach Randolph went down with a torn right MCL. Memphis is now 9-7 without Randolph. … With two steals, Gay moved within two of tying Shane Battier for the career franchise lead in that category.